What is a My Aged Care referral code?

Our team receives many questions from care recipients about My Aged Care referral codes (also known as My Aged Care referral numbers). They can be very complicated, so we understand the confusion!

The first thing to know is that My Aged Care referral codes arrive after your assessment for aged care. A My Aged Care assessment is the initial step to accessing government-funded aged care services. An assessment determines your eligibility and can be scheduled on the My Aged Care website or by calling My Aged Care (1800 200 422).

You will receive your referral code in the mail after an assessment organisation (such as ACAT) approves you for government-funded services. Some applicants may receive multiple codes depending on the types of services they require.

Your referral code is a unique number that serves two purposes:

  • It allows you to access services
  • Your chosen provider will use your code to access your assessment results, learn more about your situation, and determine if they’re a good fit for your care needs

You need your referral code to sign up with a provider for the first time or if you decide to change home care providers (more details about that are below).

Accessing your code will vary depending on your situation. With that in mind, let’s explore how to find your My Aged Care referral code.

How do I find a My Aged Care referral code?

There are numerous types of My Aged Care referral codes, but for this article, we will focus on Home Care Package (HCP) referral codes.

After your assessment for government-funded aged care, you will receive a letter from My Aged Care detailing your eligibility. An approval letter for a Home Care Package will contain your unique support plan and details about your Home Care Package level, plus a wait time for the allocation of funds (if a wait time is applicable).

Here’s where many people get tripped up:

  • That initial approval letter for a Home Care Package will not contain a My Aged Care referral code. The code will be included in a second allocation letter and is typically labelled in red font at the top of the second page. You will only receive your Home Care Package code when the package is ready to be allocated.
  • However, that initial approval letter might include CHSP codes, which indicate you’re temporarily approved for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme while you wait for Home Care Package funding to become available. (Note: Not everyone receives CHSP codes in their approval letter.)
  • Often, the number of referral codes in that initial letter indicates the type of care you’re approved to receive at that time. CHSP recipients can use multiple service providers, which is why those approval letters tend to have multiple codes. 

In short: You can expect to receive two letters, the first of which will not contain a Home Care Package referral code. That code will be included in a second allocation letter. At the end of this article, you can view an example of that second allocation letter with the red referral code.

But what if you already receive home care services and want to change providers?

In that case, your code was already activated by your current provider when you signed up. Once you’ve chosen a new provider, you need to reactivate your referral code. You can find your code in your My Aged Care portal. Then, you should call My Aged Care and inform them you’re switching providers and need to use your referral code.

How to Transfer Home Care Providers

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An Australian woman and her doctor look at a computer while reviewing My Aged Care referral codes for home care services.

How do I use a My Aged Care referral code?

Now that you know what a My Aged Care referral code is and where to find it, let’s cover how to use it.

Once you receive your allocation letter (i.e. the second letter) containing your unique Home Care Package code, you have 56 days to enter into a home care agreement with your chosen provider; if you can’t find a suitable provider during this time, you can call My Aged Care and ask for an extension of 28 days.

You will share your code with your provider during the sign-up process, enabling them to trigger your Home Care Package funding on your behalf. At that point, your provider can begin delivering your services.

Referral Codes & Aged Care Providers

At The CareSide, we ask for referral codes upfront before entering into care agreements with home care recipients.

The codes give us access to important information, allowing our team to learn more about your situation and determine if we’re a good fit for your care needs. If we determine it’s a proper fit, we won’t activate your code until you’ve completed the sign-up process.

Do you still have questions about My Aged Care referral codes? Please call us at 1300 85 40 80 or complete a quick form and our team will be in touch.

Here are a few final reminders about referral codes:

  • This article covers the most common scenarios but they are not the only ones, so be sure to read your letter from My Aged Care carefully.
  • If you lose your code, or if you need it to change providers, you can log in to your My Aged Care Online Account to see it.
  • You can visit My Aged Care’s website for more information on post-assessment letters and referral codes.

Home Care Package
Allocation Letter

View Example